A critical component of the Kaua‘i Seabird HCP is the mitigation package that outlines what conservation actions are included in the plan to offset projected take. The main goal with any seabird conservation project on Kauai is to reduce the impact of invasive predators​. One strategy is on-going predator control in areas where seabirds are nesting. Another strategy is to build a predator proof fence enclosure, and use social attraction techniques to encourage seabirds to dig burrows and nest within this protected area.

Newell’s shearwater and Hawaiian petrel are colonial birds, and are attracted to calls played over a sound system. In New Zealand, on the east coast of the mainland United States, and in other areas around the world, this technique, known as “social attraction site”, has succeeded in creating new colonies. These colonies tend to be very successful in breeding efforts, as all threatening predators are removed from the site.​​

Social attraction speaker system at Makamaka‘ole, Maui. Photo by Paul Belson, KSHCP

The KSHCP mitigation plan is to create a seabird social attraction site in the mountains of Kaua‘i, with the hopes of re-establishing or enhancing an existing colony. The advantage of this mitigation strategy is that, as long as the predator proof fence is maintained, it will create a long lasting “sanctuary” for the seabirds that nest there.

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The KSHCP will monitor breeding in the social attraction site, and the Kaua‘i Endangered Seabird Recovery Project (KESRP) will continue to monitor larger population trends island-wide.